Profiling Preference for Employment in Family-Owned Firms

This article summarizes findings from an exploratory investigation of factors related to preference for employment in family-owned firms. The sample for the study consists of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in business management classes. Discriminant analysis was used to identify life history and job characteristic variables that distinguish between groups of individuals who expressed a high and low preference for working in a family-owned firm. Additional findings from the study are summarized, and implications for the management of family firms are discussed.